Announcing the 2025 Innovation Initiatives Grantees

We’re thrilled to announce the five new projects selected for the 2025 Innovation Initiatives grant—each one rooted in community, equity, and a bold commitment to transforming child and youth mental health in Ontario.

This year, we asked agencies to implement and evaluate culturally responsive programs that address the needs of children, youth, and families impacted by systemic inequities. The response from the sector was powerful, and the five successful projects reflect innovative, community-led approaches to care.

Meet the 2025 Innovation grantees:

Children’s Centre Thunder Bay will pilot a family therapy model designed for Two-Spirit, trans, and gender diverse (2STGD) youth. Informed by community voices, the model focuses on family acceptance, reducing housing instability, and building coordinated support across health, education, and cultural systems.

Trillium Health Partners is launching a new Child and Adolescent Mental Health Urgent Response Service, co-designed with caregivers and youth from Mississauga’s Black and South Asian communities. The goal? To create timely, culturally safe care that prevents crisis and centers community wisdom.

TAIBU Community Health Centre and The Sankofa Psychotherapy & Consultancy Group will deliver an Afro-Centered program for Black youth and families using healing circles, narrative therapy, and community-led learning. Rooted in the “Each One, Teach One” model, this project promotes intergenerational knowledge and resilience.

Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag Child & Family Services will build on a previously funded project to strengthen parent-child relationships using Foundation Theraplay. By blending clinical practices with Indigenous teachings, the program supports joy, connection, and cultural identity within families impacted by intergenerational trauma.

Kinark Child and Family Services, in partnership with Hong Fook Mental Health Association, will develop a culturally adapted intensive CBT (i-CBT) day program for anxious Asian youth in York Region. This innovative model addresses stigma, access, and cultural safety in care.

These projects reflect what young people, families, and service providers have been calling for: approaches that center lived experience, build trust, and reflect the cultural realities of the communities they serve.

Over the next year, we’ll be sharing stories and insights from each grantee as their projects take shape. Stay tuned for more updates as their projects take form!

We are proud to continue supporting efforts toward a more responsive, inclusive, and equitable mental health system for all young people in Ontario.

Learn more about the Innovation Initiatives and our vision for change